


Three

by coopbastian



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Communication, Crushes, Established WestAllen, Feelings, Fluff, Julian's POV, Multi, Other, Polyamory, Prompt Fill, Tumblr Prompt, Westallenbert Endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-25
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-26 19:56:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9919934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coopbastian/pseuds/coopbastian
Summary: Somehow, Julian ends up having lunch with Barry and Iris every day. Then somehow, Julian ends up having feelings for the both of them.





	

**Author's Note:**

> previously posted on tumblr @polybarry for @adhd-barry-allen. prompt: “I’ve seen the way you look at me when you think I don’t notice.”

Julian wonders how he’s managed to get this far in his relationship with the members of Team S.T.A.R. Labs, despite his obvious standoff-ish personality. But as they continue to work together on stopping Savitar, the closer he becomes with each of the team members individually, and that especially includes Barry.  
  
And as he’s now on better terms with his co-worker, that means getting to know his co-worker’s girlfriend also. Which he doesn’t mind as much–he can admit that Iris is much easier to talk to. While Barry excudes this radiant sunlight from him, Iris gives off the vibe of the soothing moon. They balance one another quite well, and if Julian has to be honest, he’s never seen such love, such passion from one couple.  
  
It almost makes him jealous, to watch the two lovebirds eat lunch together in the shared lab. They whisper amongst themselves, making sure that they don’t irritate him, which is really considerate, but then it makes him think that he’s some sort of ticking bomb they have to carefully walk around. Now that they’re all on the same team, Julian doesn’t want that wall between them when they’re outside of S.T.A.R. Labs.  
  
Then, one day, Iris is walking into the lab with that sweet smile of hers as she’s carrying a couple of takeout bags as usual. Julian has to wonder how she and Barry could stomach that sort of food on an almost daily basis, but he doesn’t say anything as he expect the woman to say a brief greeting to him as she strolls by to get to Barry’s desk.  
  
Except, she doesn’t keep walking. She stops right in front of Julian’s desk. He looks up from his work with an arched eyebrow.  
  
“May I help you, Miss West?” he asks, fidgeting with his tie.  
  
Iris is still smiling at him, handing him one of the takeout bags. “You can help by having lunch with me and Barry,” she simply says while she glances over her shoulder at Barry, who’s smiling and rather inviting.  
  
“Oh.” Julian doesn’t know exactly what to say to that. Barry and Iris have been having lunch together for a couple of months, so why the sudden invitation–and to someone like him? He would think they’d have Cisco or Wally visit, or even Caitlin. So why him?  
  
“That’s alright,” Julian decides to say, no matter how much he actually _wants_ to sit with Barry and Iris. “I’ve, uh, brought lunch from home and I’d hate for it to go to waste.”  
  
“Oh c’mon,” Barry says. “You can have your stinky tuna sandwich later. Have burgers with us, man.”  
  
Julian raises his eyebrow again. “It’s not _stinky_.” He pauses, biting his bottom lip as he thinks about it. This could be his chance. “But if you insist…”  
  
They gather around Barry’s desk, spreading out the burgers and fries so that the three of them could share. Iris starts talking about her day at the paper while Barry is chowing down on his first burger. Julian carefully eats his fries sparingly before finally taking a bite of his burger, Barry already on his third.  
  
And that’s how Julian ends up having lunch with the couple every day. He’s still cautious about what to say around them, usually quiet and letting the other two keep up with the conversations. But he enjoys the company (and the food, of course. He now understands why it’s so difficult to _not_ eat fast food every day). They even share a few laughs, create a group text for the three of them, and Julian can’t help but think when he’s going to completely mess this up for himself.  
  
“I never would’ve pegged you for the meme type,” Barry says after two weeks of having lunch and engaging in their group text.  
  
Julian looks rather proud. “Well if you had taken the time to just talk to me, you would’ve found that out a lot sooner, Allen.”  
  
Barry grimaces and it has Julian already regretting his choice of words.  
  
“Nah, I…I know,” Barry says. “I’m sorry, Julian.” He pauses, before he’s leaning closer to him. “I’m glad I’m getting to know you now, though.” He’s smiling that sunshine smile that can let him get away with anything–including Julian’s heart.  
  
About four weeks after that, Iris decides to take Julian out shopping. He doesn’t think it’s necessary, that his current closet is perfectly fine, thank you very much–but Iris insists, and if Iris wants to do something, she’s getting her way. He already knows this. So he gives in, but not before he sends a playful “S.O.S.” text to Barry and he makes sure that Iris sees him doing it.  
  
“Now what did everyone call you back home? A wanker?” Iris tells him, mimicking the British accent.  
  
Julian lets out a soft laugh. “Pretty much,” he says, and it makes Iris silent for a moment.  
  
“I’m sorry,” she says, but Julian is already shaking his head.  
  
“Don’t be. I already had a hard time making friends, connecting with my family.” He shrugs his shoulders. The two of them are looking through the clothes racks of Target, but Iris has her eyes on him. “The only person I was ever close friends was my sister.”  
  
“Emma, right?” Iris asks, her voice soft, full of care.  
  
Julian smiles sadly. “She used to take me shopping all the time. So this…” Sighing, he looks over at Iris, hesitating for a second before he reaches out to grab her hand. “Just…thank you, Iris.”  
  
She laces her fingers with his.  
  
Four months of hanging out together and getting to know one another, Julian finds himself staring at Barry and Iris more than he should be. He tries not to swoon whenever Barry claps him on the back or when he hands him coffee like the considerate person he is, and he can’t stop his heart from fluttering every time Iris leans her head on his shoulder or whenever she defends him.  
  
Julian has unfortunately come to realize that he’s developed feelings for the both of them. Of course. An already established couple who love each other, who are devoted to each other. How could he get himself into this mess?  
  
He’s always wondered if he’s polyamorous, and he’s lucky to know Cisco to be in a relationship with Captain Cold’s sister Lisa, and that woman who also vibes, Cynthia. So after having a rather deep conversation with him, everything seems to make sense. He couldn’t leave without the engineer making a couple of jokes about being in love with Barry and Iris, but he only rolls his eyes and attempts to go on about his day.  
  
But the more he thinks about it, the more he wonders how different his relationship with the couple would be, if they would still have lunch together but also add dinner and maybe even date nights, the more clumsy and awkward Julian becomes around the two. There’s absolutely no way that the three of them could happen. Barry has loved Iris ever since they were children, and Iris is now living in a nice loft with him and is in deeply love with him. There’s no room for some British grump like him.  
  
He tries to avoid them, making excuses to skip lunch with them, hardly ever replying in their group chat, keeping their conversations relating to work and The Flash and metahumans.  
  
It’s pure agony for him. He likes them so much that it’s killing him to keep away. He just has no idea what else to do, he just knows that if he can move on with these ridiculous feelings, everything will be fine. It’ll all go back to normal and he can have lunch alone with his stinky tuna sandwich again.  
  
Two weeks go by like this, until Barry and Iris get the chance to suddenly corner him after hours at S.T.A.R. Labs. They’re the only ones left in the building, and Julian regrets not leaving sooner.  
  
“What’s going on, Jul?” Barry asks, his arms crossing over his chest as he looks on with concern on his face. “You haven’t…you haven’t been talking to us lately…”  
  
“And we’re worried,” Iris finishes as she bites her lip.  
  
It almost breaks Julian’s heart at the sound of their voices. Of course they would notice his avoidance with him. How long did he think he was going to keep it up? “Everything’s fine,” he tells them, loosening his tie and patting down his suit jacket. “I’m alright. I’ve just been…busy.”  
  
Neither Barry nor Iris look convinced.  
  
“We…kind of have an idea on what’s going on,” Iris continues, and it makes Julian hold in his breath. Is it possible that Cisco told them? No, he couldn’t. He’d never.  
  
“Look, man,” Barry says, his voice now quiet. “We’ve been talking–me and Iris. A lot. About…this.” He waves his hand in the air between them. “About us.”  
  
“Us?” Julian asks, his heart pounding against his chest and his cheeks becoming flushed. He’s so nervous… _terrified_ at the thought of the two of them knowing about his feelings for them. Terrified but expecting the rejection.  
  
“Jul, we’ve seen the way you look at us,” Iris starts to say, slowly taking a step closer to him, “when you think we don’t notice.”  
  
Here it comes, he thinks. The pain. The apologies. He keeps fidgeting with the buttons on his suit as his palms start to sweat.  
  
Barry reaches out to him, resting his hand on his shoulder softly. “I mean–we could be totally wrong about this and we’re making giant fools of ourselves, but…” He takes a deep breath. “We like you, Julian.”  
  
Wait. What?  
  
“We have for a while now,” Iris chimes in, grabbing onto Barry’s hand. “And…if you’d like, we would love to talk about how this would work.”  
  
Oh.  
  
“You just make us happy,” Barry tells him with a gentle smile. “Ever since we started hanging out more and got to know you, you…you just seem to fit. With us.”  
  
“There’s no rush, of course,” Iris says. “We can take our time, talk it out, do some research. But we really believe that this could work. I mean–we felt there was something missing for a while, and then you came along and it makes sense.”  
  
___Oh_. This…this is really happening, isn’t it? Julian wonders if he’s passed out from the overwhelming feelings running through his entire body.  
  
“Julian? You okay?” Barry asks, rubbing his shoulder.  
  
Julian finally shakes out of it, still in shock but he manages to open his mouth. “I like you, too,” he decides to say. “I like you both. So much. I-I just didn’t…I didn’t think you two would feel the same. Just…wow.” He’s beginning to smile now, thinking that he should probably pinch himself to make sure that this certainly isn’t a dream. “I’m…I’m so sorry that I’ve been avoiding you two. I…I didn’t mean to, I just…I like you.”  
  
But Barry and Iris both start to smile again, relief washing over their faces as they step in to give him a hug. Julian lets his body relax, enjoying the warm embrace, but his heart is beating so fast and so happily that it could burst at any moment.  
  
“I want to do this,” Julian tells them. “I want to take you out on dates and have movie nights and…” He looks down with embarrassment. “We can still have lunch together, right?”  
  
Barry lets out a laugh and Iris smiles wide at him. Julian has never been this happy in his entire life, wondering how on earth he’s managed without Barry and Iris right by his side.  
  
Well, now he doesn’t have to wonder. Not anymore.


End file.
